U.S. patent application number 12/723244 was filed with the patent office on 2011-09-15 for method and apparatus for gaseous mixing in a diesel exhaust system.
This patent application is currently assigned to International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC. Invention is credited to Gregory A. Griffin, Michael J. Miller, Timothy Yoon.
Application Number | 20110219745 12/723244 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44558606 |
Filed Date | 2011-09-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110219745 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Griffin; Gregory A. ; et
al. |
September 15, 2011 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GASEOUS MIXING IN A DIESEL EXHAUST
SYSTEM
Abstract
A mixing device and method for a diesel exhaust system is
disclosed having a chamber, a mixer within the chamber, and an
injection tube supported on the mixer within the chamber. The mixer
is positioned within the chamber adjacent an inlet and includes a
plurality of angled blades to effect turbulent flow in a diesel
exhaust stream entering the chamber through the inlet. The
injection tube includes a plurality of injection points (e.g.,
openings) for discharging a reagent, such as gaseous ammonia
(NH.sub.3), into the exhaust stream. The injection tube is curved,
and more specifically it is coiled with the injection points spread
along the length of the tube in order to deliver reagent across a
section of the chamber perpendicular to the exhaust stream
flow.
Inventors: |
Griffin; Gregory A.;
(Glendale Heights, IL) ; Miller; Michael J.; (Mt.
Prospect, IL) ; Yoon; Timothy; (Des Plaines,
IL) |
Assignee: |
International Engine Intellectual
Property Company, LLC
Warrenville
IL
|
Family ID: |
44558606 |
Appl. No.: |
12/723244 |
Filed: |
March 12, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
60/274 ; 60/297;
60/303; 60/317 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01F 5/0618 20130101;
B01F 5/0466 20130101; F01N 3/035 20130101; F01N 2610/1453 20130101;
B01F 5/0451 20130101; F01N 3/103 20130101; B01F 3/04049 20130101;
B01F 5/0453 20130101; B01F 2005/0621 20130101; F01N 13/0097
20140603; F01N 13/009 20140601; F01N 2340/02 20130101; F01N 3/106
20130101; F01N 2610/02 20130101; F01N 3/2892 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
60/274 ; 60/317;
60/297; 60/303 |
International
Class: |
F01N 3/00 20060101
F01N003/00; F01N 3/02 20060101 F01N003/02; F01N 3/035 20060101
F01N003/035; F01N 3/10 20060101 F01N003/10 |
Claims
1. A mixing device for a diesel exhaust system comprising: a
chamber having an inlet at one end for permitting entrance of an
exhaust stream from a diesel engine and an outlet at an opposing
end; a mixer within the chamber adjacent the inlet and positioned
to effect turbulent flow in an exhaust stream entering the chamber
through the inlet; and an injection tube supported within the
chamber by the mixer.
2. The mixing device of claim 1, wherein the injection tube
comprises a plurality of injection points therein for discharging a
reagent into the exhaust stream, and extends within a plane of the
chamber.
3. The mixing device of claim 2, wherein the injection tube is
curved.
4. The mixing device of claim 2, wherein the injection tube is
coiled.
5. The mixing device of claim 1, wherein the mixer comprises a
plurality of fixed blades angled to deflect the exhaust stream.
6. The mixing device of claim 2, wherein the mixer comprises a
plurality of blades angled to impart mixing to the exhaust stream
and the injection tube extends across each blade within the
chamber.
7. The mixing device of claim 1, wherein the injection tube is
connected to the mixer.
8. The mixing device of claim 1, wherein the chamber is positioned
between a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and a NO.sub.x slip
catalyst canister.
9. The mixing device of claim 1, wherein the chamber is positioned
between a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) canister and a NO.sub.x
particulate filter (NPF) canister.
10. A mixing device for a diesel exhaust system comprising: a
chamber having an inlet at one end for permitting entrance of an
exhaust stream from a diesel engine and an outlet at an opposing
end; a mixer within the chamber adjacent the inlet; and an
injection tube having a plurality of injection points and extending
into the chamber.
11. The mixing device of claim 10, wherein the injection tube is
supported by the mixer within the chamber.
12. The mixing device of claim 10, wherein the injection tube is
curved.
13. The mixing device of claim 12, wherein the injection tube is
coiled.
14. The mixing device of claim 10, wherein the mixer comprises a
plurality of fixed blades angled to effect turbulent flow in the
exhaust stream.
15. The mixing device of claim 11, wherein the mixer comprises a
plurality of blades angled to impart mixing to the exhaust stream
and the injection tube extends across each blade within the
chamber.
16. The mixing device of claim 10, wherein the injection tube is
connected to the mixer.
17. The mixing device of claim 10, wherein the chamber is
positioned between a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and a NO.sub.x
slip catalyst canister.
18. The mixing device of claim 10, wherein the chamber is
positioned between a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) canister and a
NO.sub.x particulate filter (NPF) canister.
19. A method for mixing gaseous ammonia in a diesel exhaust system
comprising the steps of: a. exhausting a diesel exhaust stream from
an engine through a conduit in fluid communication with the engine;
b. directing the diesel exhaust stream to flow through the conduit
into a housing having a mixer, an injection tube and an exit
disposed therein; c. creating a turbulent flow in the diesel
exhaust stream within the housing as the stream passes through the
mixer; d. injecting gaseous NH.sub.3 from the injection tube into
the diesel exhaust stream as the stream moves from the mixer toward
the housing exit to create a treated exhaust stream; and e.
discharging the treated exhaust stream through the housing
exit.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the mixer comprises a plurality
of fixed blades angled to deflect the diesel exhaust stream.
21. The method of claim 19, wherein the injection tube comprises a
plurality of injection points for introducing NH.sub.3 gas into the
diesel exhaust stream.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the injection tube is supported
in the housing by the mixer.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein the injection tube comprises a
coil.
24. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of creating
a homogenous mixture of diesel exhaust and gaseous NH.sub.3.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of creating a
homogenous mixture comprises the step of injecting gaseous NH.sub.3
into the diesel exhaust stream at a plurality of points.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the injection tube comprises a
plurality of injection points spaced throughout a cross-section of
the housing.
27. A method of treating diesel exhaust from an engine in a motor
vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: a. exhausting a diesel
exhaust stream from an engine through a conduit in fluid
communication with the engine; b. directing the diesel exhaust
stream to flow through the conduit into a housing having a mixer,
an injection tube and an exit disposed therein, wherein the
injection tube is in fluid communication with a reagent supply; c.
creating a turbulent flow in the diesel exhaust stream within the
housing as the stream passes through the mixer; d. injecting a
gaseous reagent from the reagent supply through the injection tube
into the diesel exhaust stream as the stream moves from the mixer
toward the housing exit to create a treated exhaust stream; and e.
discharging the treated exhaust stream through the housing exit.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for
treating and mixing diesel exhaust in a diesel exhaust system.
Particularly, the present invention provides methods and apparatus
for injecting reagent into a diesel exhaust stream to reduce
nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x) without increasing the packing space of
the exhaust system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Diesel engines are efficient, durable and economical. Diesel
exhaust, however, can harm both the environment and people. To
reduce this harm, governments, such as the United States and the
European Union, have proposed stricter diesel exhaust emission
regulations. These environmental regulations require diesel engines
to meet the same pollution emission standards as gasoline
engines.
[0003] Typically, to meet such regulations and standards, systems
require equipment additions and modifications. Additional equipment
can often lead to additional weight and/or additional packaging
length.
[0004] For example, a lean burning engine provides improved fuel
efficiency by operating with an amount of oxygen in excess of the
amount necessary for complete combustion of the fuel. Such engines
are said to run "lean" or on a "lean mixture." However, the
increase in fuel efficiency is offset by the creation of
undesirable pollution emissions in the form of nitrogen oxides
(NO.sub.x). One method used to reduce NO.sub.x emissions from lean
burn internal combustion engines is known as selective catalytic
reduction. When used to reduce NO.sub.x emissions from a diesel
engine, selective catalytic reduction involves injecting atomized
urea into the exhaust stream of the engine in relation to one or
more selected engine operational parameters and running the stream
through a reactor containing a catalyst. However, selective
catalytic reduction and the use of aqueous urea involve many
disadvantages, including added packaging weight and added packaging
length to the exhaust system, as well as the highly corrosiveness
and poor lubricity of aqueous urea.
[0005] It would be advantageous to provide methods and apparatus
for addressing the regulations and standards without adding weight
or length to an already complex diesel exhaust system. Accordingly,
it would be advantageous to provide methods and apparatus for
injecting a NO.sub.x reducing reagent into the diesel exhaust
stream of a lean burn engine where little or no added weight or
packaging length is required. Further, it would be advantageous to
provide a mixing system which creates a more homogenous mixture in
a limited length. It would also be advantageous to provide an
injector which is capable of distributing the reagent more
uniformly throughout a cross-section of the treatment area.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide multiple injection
points within a diesel exhaust stream.
[0006] The methods and apparatus of the present invention provide
the foregoing and other advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] There is disclosed herein an improved diesel exhaust
treatment system and method which avoid disadvantages of prior
devices and methods, while affording additional structural and
operating advantages.
[0008] Generally speaking, a mixing device for a diesel exhaust
system is disclosed having a chamber, a mixer within the chamber,
and an injection tube supported on the mixer within the chamber.
The mixer is positioned within the chamber adjacent an inlet and
includes a plurality of angled blades to effect turbulent flow in a
diesel exhaust stream entering the chamber through the inlet.
[0009] In specific embodiments of the system, the injection tube
includes a plurality of injection points (e.g., openings) for
discharging a reagent into the exhaust stream. The injection tube
is curved, and more specifically it is coiled with the injection
points spread along the length of the tube in order to deliver
reagent across a section of the chamber perpendicular to the
exhaust stream flow.
[0010] The disclosed method for mixing gaseous ammonia in a diesel
exhaust system begins with a diesel exhaust stream from a diesel
engine passing from the engine through a conduit in fluid
communication with the engine. The exhaust stream is directed to
flow through the conduit into a housing having a mixer, an
injection tube and an exit disposed therein. Turbulent flow in the
diesel exhaust stream is created within the housing as the stream
passes through the mixer. A continuous injection of gaseous
NH.sub.3 from the injection tube into the diesel exhaust stream is
made as the stream moves from the mixer toward the housing exit to
create a treated homogenous exhaust stream. Finally, the treated
exhaust stream is discharged through the housing exit.
[0011] These and other aspects of the invention may be understood
more readily from the following description and the appended
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the
subject matter sought to be protected, there are illustrated in the
accompanying drawings embodiments thereof, from an inspection of
which, when considered in connection with the following
description, the subject matter sought to be protected, its
construction and operation, and many of its advantages should be
readily understood and appreciated.
[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustrating a typical mixer/injector
device in a diesel exhaust system;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustrating an embodiment of a
mixer/NH.sub.3 injection device of the present invention in a
diesel exhaust system;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustrating another embodiment of a
mixer/NH.sub.3 injection device of the present invention in a
diesel exhaust system;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of a mixer/NH.sub.3
injection device; and
[0017] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the mixer/NH.sub.3 injection
device of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many
different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be
described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention with
the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered
as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not
intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to embodiments
illustrated.
[0019] Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a typical
mixer/injector device. Exhaust is discharged from the diesel engine
100, through conduit such as exhaust piping to an exhaust treatment
system 110. The exhaust treatment system 110 typically consists of,
in downstream order, a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) 112, a
diesel particulate filter (DPF) 114, a mixer/NH.sub.3 treatment
canister 116, and a NO.sub.x slip catalyst (NSC) 118. The DOC 112,
DPF 114 and NSC 118 are additional exhaust treatment structures
present in most diesel exhaust treatment systems and which form no
part of the present system 10. Such structures will be generally
referenced herein and identified in the drawing figures but, as
each of these additional exhaust treatment structures is commonly
understood by those skilled in the art, a detailed discussion of
each is avoided for the purpose of focusing discussion on the
system 10 as set forth in the appended claims.
[0020] The mixer/treatment canister 116 is shown to include a
connection pipe 120 with an injector 122 at the upstream end where
NH.sub.3--or an NH.sub.3 containing reagent--is injected into a
laminar diesel exhaust flow as it is discharged from the DOC 112
and DPF 114. The ammonia/exhaust stream then passes through a mixer
124 to effect mixing of the NH.sub.3 and the diesel exhaust. A
substantial length of pipe 120 is needed to allow for adequate
mixing of the two components before the flow enters the NSC 118. As
such, the mixer/injector system adds packaging length and weight to
the diesel exhaust system 100 which might otherwise be used for
other after-treatment substrates.
[0021] Referring to FIGS. 2-5, there is illustrated a
mixer/NH.sub.3 injection system, generally designated by the
numeral 10. The system 10 is shown in two distinct exhaust
treatment configurations. FIG. 2 illustrates a configuration
similar to that of FIG. 1 where the downstream order of components
is DOC 12, then DPF 14 and NSC 18 sandwiched about system 10.
Alternatively, FIG. 3 illustrates a configuration where the NSC 18
is on the DPF 14--i.e., NO.sub.x slip catalyst on diesel
particulate filter (NPF) 19--sandwiching the system 10 with the DOC
12. Other configurations may exist in which the system 10 is moved
up or downstream in the exhaust flow.
[0022] Regardless of the specific configuration, it is clear from
examination of FIGS. 2 and 3 that the packaging space required for
system 10 is substantially reduced from that required for a typical
mixer/injector device 110 illustrated in FIG. 1.
[0023] Generally speaking, system 10 is comprised of a housing 20
defining a mixing chamber 25, an injection tube 22 fed by an
exterior injector boss 30 coupled to a supply (not shown), and a
mixer 24. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the diameter of the housing 20
(approx. 12 inches (30.5 cm)) is substantially equal to that of the
surrounding structures--e.g., DPF 14 and NSC 18. By providing the
larger diameter system housing 20 (vs. narrow connecting pipe 120),
the need for reducers 123 (FIG. 1) is eliminated, further reducing
the packaging size of the entire diesel exhaust treatment
system.
[0024] FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a specific embodiment of a
single-plane, coiled injection tube 22. Injection tube 22 enters
through the housing sidewall and begins a tortuous path to a center
of the chamber 25. The tube 22 includes a series of injection
points 23 where reagent can be emitted into the chamber 25. The
injection points 23 are spaced along the tube 22 and, therefore,
throughout a cross-section of the chamber 25 to provide a more
uniform distribution of reagent throughout that cross-section of
the mixing chamber 25. The uniform distribution into the exhaust
stream results in a more homogenous mixture of reagent and exhaust
in a shorter mixing period.
[0025] The tube 22 may be configured in several alternative shapes,
including circular and serpentine, so long as a distribution of the
injection points 23 throughout a cross-section of the chamber is
provided. Further, the injection points 23 comprise small openings
in the tube 22 to allow discharge of the reagent from the tube 22.
To effect a uniform or even discharge from all the injection points
23, the first opening has a very small diameter and successive
opening diameters increase toward the tube end 27--i.e., the
smallest diameter openings are positioned at the beginning of the
tube where the fluid pressure is the greatest. The purpose, again,
is to achieve even distribution of reagent across the entire
cross-section of the mixing chamber 25.
[0026] Also shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, is exhaust flow mixer 24. The
mixer 24 is comprised of a plurality of fixed blades 37, four are
shown, secured to one another at a midpoint and outwardly to and
within a short section (approx. six inches (15.2 cm)) of the
housing 20. The blades 37 are angled from back to front as a way of
imparting a turbulent flow to the substantially laminar exhaust
flow entering system 10. Though not shown, additional blade
configurations are possible to achieve the desired turbulent
exhaust flow for mixing.
[0027] Another feature of the mixer 24 is that it supports the
injection tube 22. That is, the tube 22, which is positioned on the
downstream side of the mixer 24, attaches to, by way of welds or
any other suitable attachment means, each of the mixer blades 37
for simple structural support. Attachment may be achieved, for
example, at the areas 39 where the tube 22 crosses each blade 37.
The securing of the coiled tube 22 alleviates damage which might
otherwise be caused by the more violent vibration of the tube 22
during operation of the vehicle. Reagent (e.g., gaseous NH.sub.3)
discharged from injection points 23 immediately enters the
turbulent diesel exhaust stream as it moves toward the chamber exit
35 (FIGS. 2 and 3). A relatively short distance is needed to
provide the necessary mixing time to create a homogonous
reagent/diesel exhaust.
[0028] The homogenous mixture is then exited from the mixing
chamber 25 into one of either the NSC 18 (FIG. 2) or the NPF 19
(FIG. 3) for further treatment.
[0029] The matter set forth in the foregoing description and
accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and
not as a limitation. While particular embodiments have been shown
and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
changes and modifications may be made without departing from the
broader aspects of applicants' contribution. The actual scope of
the protection sought is intended to be defined in the following
claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior
art.
* * * * *